Clothes-frame.



PATENTED FEB; 6, 1.906.

' G. W. BRODE. CLOTHES FRAME.

CHARLES W. BRODE, OF NEW GOMERSTOWN, OHIO.

CLOTHES-FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1906.

Application filed August 21, 1902. Serial No. 120,543-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. BRODE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at New Comerstown, in the countyof Tuscarawas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Clothes-Frames, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in clothes-frames.

The object is to provide a frame which shall afford the greatestpossible drying facilities with economy of space and cost and one whichwhen folded up requires a minimum space to store it iii.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a frame embodying myinvention extended in position for use. Fig. 2 is a side view of theframe when closed up ready for storage or transportation; and Fig. 3 isan end view of the frame, showing the manner in which clothes may behung upon In the drawings, 1 and 2 indicate the longitudinally,vertically, and oppositely folding sections of the frame, composed,respectively, of upright members 3 4 and 5 6 and the upwardly anddownwardly folding members 7. The upright bars 3 4 and 5 6 are pivotallyconnected at 8, and each of the bars 7 is pivotally connected near itsouter end to one of the upright bars. The inner ends of the bars 7,which lie in approximately the same planes, are superposed and pivotallyconnected to one of the uprights 9 10. These uprights 9 10 are likewisepivoted at 8 and serve both to join the sections 1 and 2 end to end andalso to form the base on which the sections fold vertically andinwardly. The two bars 7, which are arranged in proximity to the pivotalconnections 8 of the uprights, are carried each by one of theframe-sections, one being pivoted to the uprights 6 and 10 and the otherto the uprights 4 and 9. This arrangement of the bars in proximity tothe pivots 8 allows for the lateral spreading of the sections whichcompose the frame and also provides for the utilization of the centralvertical longitudinal planes of the frame for drying purposes.

The bar or brace 11, which is pivoted at 12 to the upright 6 or to oneof the bars 7, is notched at 13. This notch 13 engages with a pin 14 onthe bar lO-to form a means for looking the frame against longitudinalmovement or swaying. The brace is held securely in place on the pin 14by a gravitating and au I tomatically-acting button or catch 16, pivotedto the upright 10 and adapted at its free end to bear on the brace.

Located above the pintles 8 and securely fastened at either end to eachpair of upright bars 3 4 and 5 6 are the chains 15. These chains actautomatically as stop devices to limit the outward spread or rotation ofthe uprights about the pintles 8. It will be understood that I do notlimit myself to this single form of stop device, as any other suitablestop device or equivalent may be used to accomplish the same result. Thedevice also may be located-below instead of above the pintles 8.

To fold the frame, the upright bars are revolved about their pintles 8until all the members of the frame lie .in the same or parallel planes.Then the brace 11 is disengaged from the pin 14, the central uprights 9and 10 are elevated, and the sections 1 and 2 are folded down about thecentral uprights until "the parts of the frame assume the relativepositions shown in Fig. 2.

An important feature of my invention consists in the fact that in orderto fold the frame all of its members must lie in the same or in parallelplanes. Owing to this fact, when the frame is set up ready for use thereis no dan- 'er of its collapsing if, perchance, the brace ecomesdisengaged. Furthermore, even though the brace 11 become disengaged theframe may be lifted from place to place when filled with clothes,likewise without any danger of having it collapse. The reason for thisis that as the uprights are revolved about their pivots or, in otherwords, the frame is spread the planes of the bars 7 connected to oneseries of uprights and. those of the bars 7 connected to the otherseries are no longer parallel. If an attempt is now made to fold. theframe, the two bars 7 which are secured nearest the pivotal connectionsof the uprights will contact with the upright bars to which they are notsecured and which lie in another plane, so that folding or collapsing isprevented.

Another important feature of my invention is clearly shown in Fig. 3.After each of the bars 7 has been hung with clothes .it is stillpossible to utilize the frame, on account of the width at its top, fordrying large artilike-by laying them across the tops of the uprightbars. As shown, they may hang down over the frame without coming intoales-such as sheets, table-cloths, and the' contact with any of thearticles hung upon the bars 7. The capacity of the rack is thus largelyincreased, and this is derived from the plan of construction, accordingto which the two sections which fold vertically together are eachcomposed of two members, which cross each other in X fashion and arepivoted together at 8, and this is accomplished While still maintaininggreat economy in construction, only two shapes of bars being requiredand the number of pivots minimized by uniting the inner ends of bars 7in pairs With a single pivot.

What I claim is- A folding rack consisting of twolongitudinally-foldable and laterally-spreadable sections, each sectioncomprising a pair of uprights arranged side by side and pivotally joinedtogether at points between their ends and a series of longitudinalmembers arranged on the outside edges of the said upright members onopposite sides of said pivotal connections and having their outer endspivoted to said uprights, the inner ends of said longitudinal memberswhich lie in approximately the same planes, being overlapped and pivotedto one of a pair of transversely-pivoted uprights which serve as ajoining means for the two sections, each section having a singlelongitudinal member arranged in proximity to the transverse pivotalconnections of the uprights, and on opposite sides of the frame fromeach other, and having their inner ends pivotally connected each to oneof the aforesaid uprights joining the said sections together,respectively, substantially as set forth In testimony whereof I afliX mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES WV. BRODE.

Witnesses FRANK MEEK, CHARLEY SMITH.

